Anything for Love
by Suki-Itami
Summary: Set 100 years before "Hawksong". Valene said that the falcons detest any mixed-blood children, and romance between two kinds are looked down upon. What could've set off such hate for such simple love?
1. Prologue

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Alasdair prayed to the sun goddess to bring her people out of misery and suffering, and to propriety and wealth. The results of her prayers were the beautiful set of wings that each Avian man, woman, and child has, and also our second form. Which could be many forms of majestic birds. All forms can appear in the Keep except for one – the falcon.

_Though their form is quite similar to my own – that of a hawk – falcons think themselves superior to all around them. Even while in my presence, they always have a sense of superiority around them. (And it's sad enough to say that even I, the Tuuli Thea, dare not say anything against them for acting as though I am inferior.)_

_My distain for dealing with them is as equal to my hate for them, but I must continue my dealings with them for they are our suppliers for us to survive in the war against the Serpiente. As much as I hate dealing and working with them, I could not stand to watch my people die needless deaths because their own Tuuli Thea lacked the capacity to deal with the falcons, even though it is necessary._

_But…lately, there has been one falcon – a supplier of the special poison we use named Wyk – that has taken more time than any other falcon to get to know me. It's a little unsettling for a falcon to want to "get to know" the leader of the Avian people, but at the same time, it's a relief. I had begun to think that the falcons possessed no humanity at all, and Wyk's talking to me has made me realize they do possess it._

_More recently, though, there has been one thing that has been even more unsettling than him just talking to me. Only yesterday did the seemingly reserved falcon take my hand and kiss the top of it gently. I was very…disturbed by this gesture to say the least. I'm not sure if that is a sign of friendship in the falcon court at Ahnmik, but here, in the Avian court, that's a…bad sign – at least for me._

_I have ruled for ten years – ever since I was twelve and my mother passed – and have never once considered someone as my Alistair since my original one died in the war a year ago. Besides, I don't think I could ever take a mate from a race as terrifying as the falcons – the only other race I would __**never**__ take a mate from is the Serpiente, but there's logical reasoning for that._

_Though Wyk is my friend, I could never even consider him for an Alistair even if I wanted. It's just so unlikely that I would be able to be in the same room with him long enough to talk with him about our people, let alone be bound to him. Also, it's unheard of; my people would be outraged. I must do what I can for the good of the people, which means finding an __**Avian**__ Alistair soon so that I can have an heir of pureblood._

_Well, better start looking…_

**Emma Shardae**

**Tuuli Thea**


	2. Chapter 1

_(Author's Note: If I mess up any of the characters from the books description, please tell me. I don't own the Kiesha'ra books, so I only have what I borrow at my disposal – which is __Wolfcry__ right now.)_

…

If there's one thing I absolutely love about being Tuuli Thea, it's going to market to see the newly woven silk clothing of amber and gold – my two favorite colors. Only flying through the cool breeze could ever possibly top strolling through market in order to gaze at the beautiful colors of the Hawk's Keep. Of course, this only gets better when I skip court to come here.

People smile at me as I pass. The confusion in their eyes is clear, and they probably all want the answer to the same question: Where is the Royal Flight?

I stop at a stall that I dubbed my favorite years ago. The bright gold, amber, purple, and blue silk shimmers amazingly in the afternoon sun with nothing disturbing the beautiful clothe.

"Milady Shardae." The woman running the stall says politely with a smile. "I was under the impression you had court today. Forgive me, had I known you were coming, I would've put out more elegant clothing."

I smile back at my lifelong friend as I grab a single gold hair-band off the counter. "How much for this, Anya?" I knew she was about to freak out; she always did when I wanted to buy something "common".

Anya seems a little shocked – amazing that she hasn't started throwing a fit. Okay, she was **very** shocked. She moves to touch her own hair-band; a copy of the one I want. Instead of appearing nervous, she simply tightens the band in her light brown hair.

She smiles again. "Milady—"

"If I told you once, I've told you five times." I sighed. "Call me Emma."

Anya looks around nervously before saying, "Emma, why do you want that? It's not as elegant as some other things I have."

"I know, but I want **this**. How much?"

"For you, free."

I sigh but don't fight it. I know that even if I argue to pay, she wouldn't let me. "Thanks…" I tie back my gold hair high on my head to reveal the same colored feathers on the nape of my neck.

Anya turns around to grab something, showing me feather at the nape of her neck the same light brown color as her hair. We both turn our heads to the sky when a raven above us let out a shriek of relief and frustration.

The raven dives towards us and lands a few feet away, behind some people walking by. Suddenly, I hear, "Emma Shardae!!"

I laugh innocently as the people walking by stop and part for a faired skinned, black haired, blue-eyed man dressed thick fabric with intricate designs all over his clothing. He walks—stomps towards me angrily. "What are you doing here?!"

I continue to smile between Anya and our other friend. I know I'm in trouble for skipping court in order to come to market again, but I really don't care. "Hey Kiev."

"Don't 'hey Kiev' me!" Kiev almost yelled at me. "Do you know how much trouble you're in right now?!"

Anya sighs and turns her chocolate brown eyes to him. "What did Emma do this time?"

"She skipped out on court again."

"Emma…" Anya sighed. "You shouldn't skip out like this all the time."

I roll my eyes at both of them. "Come on, really. It's not like the war is in the balance of the meeting of this court."

Kiev groaned in frustration as he held his face in his left hand. "Actually, it kind of is."

"Huh?" This is new…normally, Kiev doesn't really seem this frustrated about me running off. It could be that I'm doing this more than usual though. Hehe…

"You have a few meetings today that could mean the difference between our deaths and our living." He put his hands on his hips. "And, personally, I like living."

"Come on, it can't be—"

"As head of the Royal Flight, I cannot condone you running off when we have falcons **and** Serpiente in the keep!"

I gasp slightly as I feel Anya tense beside me. Serpiente in the keep?! What're they doing here?! I nod slightly as my brain tries to process the thought of Serpiente here. "Lets go."

Kiev nods and leads me to the court hall – it's not that I don't know where it is, I'm just in such shock right now. Upon entering the court hall, the first thing I notice is a young girl maybe a few years older than me with long hair as black as night, her skin paler even compared to that of the most sick Avian. I look down and notice the garnet ring on her left middle finger. Cobriana. Guards surrounded her on all sides, ready to stop an attack if necessary. Her head is bent down and her eyes closed with her hair falling around her face.

I look around to try to find the falcons, at least I felt a little more at ease around them as compared to a serpent. I look up at Kiev. "Where are the falcons?"

"They're in another room," Kiev explains, "because they tried to fight the cobra over there."

I nod once and sit down on a cushion a way back from the Cobriana. "You are?"

She opens her eyes at my voice and lifts her head, causing her hair to tumble back around her shoulders. "Forgive me if I do not kneel." She says with distain, though in her red eyes I see nothing but pure hate. "My name Asai Cobriana. I am the Arami to the Cobriana line."

I nod in respect, as is expected, though Asai makes no move to return the gesture. "I am Emma Shardae. Tuuli Thea."

"I know who you are."

"That is well." I do act more formal around the Serpiente than I would, say, a raven or crow. I'm just afraid of them more than anyone else. "Why are you here?"

"My father, the Diente of the Serpiente, wants you to withdraw from the eastern battle front." I know which front she's talking about; our soldiers have been struggling there for months. "We have no interest in saving Avian lives, don't get me wrong, but we're tired of losing lives on that front because neither side can gain an edge. Father was sure that you feel the same."

Asai has a point. There really is no reason whatsoever to continue fighting that front, there's no way for us to gain edge over the Serpiente, and vice-versa. I look to Kiev. "Kiev, you're head of the Royal Flight, those are your soldiers out there. What do you say? Should we comply?" I often turn to Kiev for decisions like this; he's the tactical one, not me.

He thought for a long minute before nodding. "I believe we should. Neither Avian nor Serpiente have been able to gain ground on the other. Both sides are wasting lives on that front." He turned to Asai. "Tell your Diente that we'll withdraw our soldiers from that area. We only hope that you speak the truth."

Asai nods and turns to the door, leaving without saying one more word.

I let out a breath of relief upon the Cobriana's leaving. They've always scared me half-to-death, I wouldn't have skipped out of court if I had known **she** was here.

"Will you be okay?" Kiev asks quickly, noticing my sudden relaxation at the leave of the serpent.

I simply nod, not able to express words for how grateful I am that I escaped the fate that had taken my mother, the former Tuuli Thea. "You can send in the falcons now."

Kiev nods and turns to another door. He opens it and calls for the falcons to enter the room. One at a time, the falcons that I've been dealing with for sometime now, as regards to the poison for the war, enter.

The first falcon who entered, a young girl that looked maybe nineteen – only three years younger than myself – with silver hair and purple eyes, gyrfalcon wings spread proudly, approached me a few steps. "We have more of the poison you require, if you need it."

"Thank you." I simply answer, knowing anything more concerning that would set this girl – one of the falcon's from a version of their royal guard, called Mercy, named Kel – off. "If there isn't anything more you wish to speak with me about, then feel free to send in the poison."

Kel nods once and faces the other four falcons who had followed her in. She speaks to them in another language that I cannot understand, and all but one leaves to bring in the poison. The white haired, purple eyed falcon strolls right up to me and kneels before me.

"Milady." He says formally, knowing it was the only way Kiev would allow him this close to me.

I smile a little at my newfound falcon friend. "You know that I wouldn't care if you didn't do that, Wyk."

Wyk chuckles twice and falls back onto his butt for a more comfortable sitting position. "I know, I know. But your guard, here, might."

I glance up at Kiev, standing at perfect attention with his left wrist clasped into his right hand. "I promise, Kiev won't do a thing to you if you're informal with me. You're my friend, after all."

He smirked a bit. "That is true. But, you're a hawk as well. You're much more reserved than myself."

I shrug. "Yeah, I'm reserved as far as touch is concerned – just like any other Avian here – but I don't care if you're informal around me. I have friends in market who are really informal." Of course, I was only partially referring to Anya when I said this. I always have to ask her to be informal before she actually is.

I could hear Kiev grit his teeth at this. He never did like how I preferred informality to formality; he always said that it might one day get me killed. Yeah, right, like that'll happen.

"So, Wyk, do you volunteer to come to the Hawk's Keep every time a delivery is made just so you can speak with me?" Kiev is gritting his teeth again, he so obviously hates my favoritism towards the falcon.

Wyk blushes a light crimson. "More or less. So, Emma, is there anything new to report around here?"

"Watch your tongue, falcon!!" Kiev suddenly yells, startling me. He normally keeps his mouth shut around Wyk and just grits his teeth, I have no idea why he would suddenly insert himself into the conversation like this.

"Kiev, calm down!" I yell back. "There's no reason to lash out like that!"

My friend, and guard suddenly tenses as he realizes he did something I did not approve of. "Forgive me, Lady Shardae."

"Forgiven, just don't do it again."

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I had overstepped a boundary with your guard." Wyk said with no hint of apology in his voice.

"Keep your mouth shut and help the others!" Kiev just completely ignored me! That's unlike him… "The sooner you falcons are gone, the better!"

"Kiev, keep **your** mouth shut or I will strip you of your title!" I know it works because he shut his mouth immediately, and I won't hear anything from said mouth until after dinner. "I'm sorry, Wyk, I don't know what's gotten into Kiev today. You must forgive him, it might be the cobra we had in here earlier that's left him on edge."

Wyk smiles a winning smile at me. "He's forgiven. I can understand why he would be on edge after a serpent is here, they're horrible creatures."

"They are."

"Wyk, get out here!" Kel's angry voice rings through the court hall and, more than likely, most of the keep.

He stands up and turns for the door where the other falcons exited. "Sorry about abandoning you again, Emma, but if I don't go, I'll be reported to Araceli or Empress Cjarsa."

"Okay." I allow him to go without a fight. He's told me much about the falcons on their island of Ahnmik, mainly about how much trouble he could get into if he disobeyed a member of the Mercy.

I sigh as I watch the five falcons carry in box after box of the special poison again. Again, I'm not in the least interested about this whole transaction. The highlight of the falcons trip is always talking to Wyk and, lately – after that embarrassing kiss on the hand a few months ago – the woman Kel has been taking him away from me more often. I rarely get to talk to my only falcon friend anymore, and it's a little depressing.

"Kiev, can you watch the rest of this transaction for me?" I ask without a hint of interest in my voice. "I'd like to go lay down before yet another announcement to everyone."

"Of course." Kiev says quickly with a hint of a sigh in his voice.

This announcement would be just another monthly routine of tells the people in the Hawk's Keep that I still haven't chosen an Alistair. They'll be highly disappointed, as always, but I just haven't found a good match yet, like Andreios – my last Alistair – had been. (Author Note: Different person than the guy in the book.)

I stood up and walked out of the door, immediately changing into my elegant hawks form and flying up to the highest room of a tower in the middle of the keep. Time for some sleep, then to make the same monotonous announcement, as I have been every month for the past ten months. Fun, fun…


	3. Chapter 2

Okay, so I said wandering around the market was second only to flying through the air on my list of favorite things. Well, my absolute least favorite thing is definitely getting on this stupid dais in the middle of the market to tell the Avian people that I still haven't chosen an Alistair. Ugh…!

Kiev looks back at me as I approach the stairs behind the dais. My people are talking loudly, obviously praying that I've chosen "a proper Avian man" this time around. He nods at me, and watches as I walked onto the dais.

Avians all around the market cheer as I near the edge of the small stage. Very few of them do not cheer and scream for "my Alistair" to step onto the dais with me – Kiev and Anya are, of course, the few.

I raise a hand to silence them, and they do immediately. I take a short breath before beginning to speak, "First off, as always, I want to thank everyone for coming out here today. I really do appreciate it." I pause to be sure no one speaks before continuing, "I know everyone here wants to desperately know when I'll once again have a wonderful Alistair like Andreios was." I wait as a few "here, here's" went around the market. "I can tell you that that day is…"

The people lean slightly forward, anxious to hear "who I chose". Hmm, I guess this can be kinda fun! "…That day is not today. I'm sorry, I still have not chosen."

A few mumbled complaints begin to circulate from ear to ear, but most are hidden behind the veil of the well-known Avian reserve. I know they truly hate being led on like that, but it was so much fun! I knew it would be, I couldn't resist!

Finally, Kiev walks up beside on the dais. I see heads shoot up to look as this happens. I know that everyone wants Kiev to rule beside me, but I don't think I could deal with his uptight military attitude. He looks back at two more of the Royal Flight and tells them to correct everyone's assumptions before he turns back to me.

"You shouldn't lead the people on like that." He scolds – exactly why I could never live with him, he'd be scolding me more than he already does! "It's not something a Tuuli Thea should do. You know this is a serious matter."

Ugh… I'm so sick and tired of him telling me what I shouldn't do because my mother was "a proper Avian lady and Tuuli Thea". "I realize this is serious, but that doesn't mean I can't have some fun with it."

Kiev sighs as he and the rest of the Royal Flight – sometimes a royal pain in the ass, hence why I ditch them – escort me up to court. I guess the falcons haven't left yet. Good, I can still talk to Wyk for a while. Yaay! (No, no, no! I can't be happy to talk to, or see him! He's a falcon, not an Avian! I can't lose to him now!)

"Milady Shardae?" A crow asks me when he realizes I've stopped. "Are you alright?"

I look up at the black haired man in the same armor as Kiev. I'm not sure who he is, he must be new. "Yes, I am. Sorry."

Kiev looks back and stops when he sees me and the crow talking. He whips around and half-glares at the crow. "Lucas, why are you holding Lady Shardae up?!"

"Forgive me, sir!" Lucas straightens up and stares forward as Kiev approaches.

"I might if you explain—"

"Oh my god, Kiev," I suddenly yell, completely tired of his attitude, "he was just making sure I was okay! I stopped and he didn't know why, that's all!" I face Lucas. "Thanks for your concern, Lucas, I appreciate it."

"Anytime, Milady." He says happily, despite his best efforts to keep his voice calm.

Kiev, also trying his best to keep calm, screams at Lucas, "Unless you stop talking, now, you're dismissed from the Royal Flight!"

Though Lucas kept his mouth shut, I couldn't. "What the hell is your problem?! You need to keep your own mouth shut! Only **I** have the power to dismiss someone from the Royal Flight, you know that! If you keep this up much longer, the Royal Flight's gonna need a new captain!"

Kiev shuts his mouth immediately and turns around to continue to court. I follow him with Lucas behind me, a sparrow girl on my left, and a raven boy on my right – both of whom I know because they guarded my mother. We enter the courtroom as the falcons are unloading the last of the poison.

Wyk walks over to me with a big smile that could have been branded onto his face. "Emma, Emma, Emma…" He pretends to scold. His eyes lock with mine so that I can tell he's joking. "That was brilliant! I love how you misled them like that, it was priceless!" Though he's doing his best to hide it, he seems relieved that I haven't chosen an Alistair yet.

I smile back at him. Happiness sweeps over me as I realize he'll always be the only person to be happy with my choices – no matter how scatterbrained I am when I think of them. Sometimes I wonder if this arrangement I'm forcing myself to have with Wyk is enough. Every time that I'm near him, laughing with him, or staring at him, a warm feeling comes over me. I can't explain it, but I love the feeling. I don't want it to ever go away…which would mean Wyk wouldn't go away. And, though he is a falcon, I'm beginning to think I could live with that.

Wyk waves a hand two inches from my face to get attention. "Hello…! Earth to Emma, are you there?"

I shake my head and smile at him again. "Yeah, I'm here!" I laugh. "Sorry, I'm a little out of it today."

He chuckles, seemingly amused with my temporary moment of scatterbrained-ness. "It's okay." He grabs my hand, causing me to blush. "I think it's cute."

"_la'Wyk'jaes'oisna'ona'saniet!!!"_ Kel yells at the top of her lungs from just outside the door. She obviously wants him because it's time for them to leave again.

I groan when Wyk turns at the sound of his official name. I don't want him to go just yet! It'll be months before he comes back, and I won't have anyone to pick me back up from Kiev scolding me until then.

He turns back to me, and smiles. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I promise I'll be back though."

I smile back a little. "I'm glad."

He kisses the top of my hand and brushes his lips along the tips of my fingers, causing me to shudder and blush at the same time. He straightens up and says loudly as if it was a huge thing, "_Tesk-Kaya'ga'la._" (Author's Note: Translation; My light.)

Though I could never start to guess what Wyk said, he said it with enough passion that it could've meant multiple things. He turns and walks for the door where Kel intercepts him. She grabs his arm and begins yelling incomprehensible things at him in that other language. And I don't even understand what Wyk's yelling back until he yells something that he yelled many times in the market here at the Keep:

"_Nasa-Kel-nas'ka'la!_" Don't touch me! He yells this shortly after Kel had let go of him, but had grabbed his arm again. I only know that because after yelling it so many times, I had to ask him what it meant. He told me without a fight at all, seeming happy that I took an interest in his native language at all.

I begin to walk over to where him and Kel are yelling at each other, but Kiev and Lucas stop me. They obviously don't want me in the middle of a yelling match between two falcons, even though they know that I am very close to Wyk. Before too long, Kel and two other of the falcons that had come to the Keep – two more of the Mercy from Ahnmik – grab him and drag him out of the room. They obviously just want to get back, regardless of how far they have to drag Wyk.

Once he's gone from my sight – not very much longer later – I hang my head. I hope that his and Kel's little yelling match won't cost him his trips here. I really enjoy him coming. Though he grabs my hand and kisses the top of it more than I'm comfortable with – I'll never admit it to anyone, but really do like it when he does – Wyk's still a really great guy. He's a really good friend, and he supports me for everything I do, and he's never too serious. He's…well, he's straight up perfect! He's just the kind of guy I want, but can't find in the Keep. And with that screaming match and whatever he had said to me, he might never come back…

"Emma Shardae!" Kiev yells at me, snapping me out of my little stupor.

I look up at him, unaware of the tears that are clouding my vision until I do so. "W-What?" Why am I starting to cry? What's wrong with me?

"Emma?" He adverts his eyes to the side. "If you would like, I'll escort you to your quarters." He seems unhappy with my tears…then again, he's always unhappy with me.

I sniff and wipe away the tears, which were quickly replaced with new ones. No, no, stop this! I can't cry here, Kiev will never stop scolding me about it! "If you wouldn't mind, I-I would appreciate it."

He nods and turns, dismissing the other members of the flight. We walk to the door and shift into our respective Avian forms. Kiev leaves me so that he can guard my door, while I finish my flight up to my bedroom window.

Until this moment, I had no idea a hawk could cry. I only realize I've been crying when I shift back into human form and feel the tears running down my face. I take a breath and shift into demi form just to understand why the falcons choose this form.

My gold wings spread proudly and I understand why. This form makes me feel stronger and like nothing can hurt me. Not even my own emotions. But, still, the tears fall and I curl up into a ball on my bed, crying. I want to cry to someone right now, I want someone to hold me and tell me everything will be okay. I know because of our "reserve", I can't ask even Anya or Kiev for comfort – not that I would ever ask him for comfort, he'd be no good at it – but right now, it would be nice.

I don't understand how my people can go through life without expressing how they feel. I've tried it and I hate it! I know that if I ever said this, then some of the Avians would view me as no better than the Serpiente because of my feelings. But, I don't care what the hell they think! I need to talk to someone, I need to cry to someone, I need someone to hold me now! I need someone to express my feelings to, and share what I want. I don't expect what I want, of course, but to just be able to say it would be nice enough for me.

"Emma?"

I turn over onto my other side, nearly falling off my bed because I had forgotten I am in demi form. After recovering from nearly falling, I look up and see Wyk. "W-Wyk? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be on your way to Ahnmik?"

He walked over to me and sat me up straight so he could sit next to me in his demi form. "Emma, what's wrong? I barely see you laugh, let alone cry."

I look at him, but out of the corner of my eyes I can see the wings of our demi forms. Gold against a deep red: It's so perfect that I want to cry again. How can we deny ourselves this? Why are we? How could I be so blind? "Wyk…" I collapse into his chest.

"E-Emma!" He wraps his arms around me instantly, and though I do flinch, not being used to the embrace, I welcome the comfort. "Are you okay?"

I nod once. "Please…tell me that you'll be back from Ahnmik soon. Please t-tell me you didn't screw things up by yelling at that Kel girl!"

Wyk chuckles. "Kel couldn't stand my complaining. She said 'shut up, or go back'." He lifts my head up as I hear the words he speaks. "I chose to come back."

"Wyk." I smile and snuggle into his chest. The familiarity with him is foreign – and not just because he's a falcon – but I welcome and enjoy it, knowing that it won't last long.

"I hope this isn't too forward of me, but—"

"I like being here with you, this isn't being too forward."

He chuckles again. "No, no, not that – I figured you might say that." He hugs me tighter. "I love you. I have from the first moment I saw you. That's why I wanted to get to know you better; I always wanted to say those words to you. But knowing that you're Tuuli Thea, I had no idea how you would react to a falcon being your friend, let alone admitting their love for you. I had to take this as slow as I could. When I tried to make that first subtle advance, I thought I blew it when you freaked out. I'm happy to know that I didn't."

I smile as wide as I can and snuggle further into Wyk's chest. "Wyk, I—"

"You, falcon!" Kiev screams as he slams open my door.

I sit up immediately. "Kiev, what're you—"

At that moment, three members of the Royal Flight rush into my room. I look all around as more and more seem to be coming.

"Lady Shardae, please allow me to dispose of this leech!" Kiev continues screaming.

"Wyk is not a leech! And, no, I can't grant you that! I never will!" I scream back. "All of you are dismissed to your homes until further notice! Kiev, you're suspended!"

"Milady, why are you in your demi form?" A sparrow boy asks.

I take a breath. "I feel better when I'm around Wyk in this form." I face Kiev again. "You, all of you, leave now! I will contact you later about returning to duty!"

No one left.

"If you don't leave now, you're all suspended! And, you, Kiev, you'll be terminated indefinitely!"

Kiev sighs. "Look, Emma, I didn't want to do this, but you can't think for yourself anymore."

"What are you saying?!"

"In two days, you're naming an Alistair. I set everything up after you came inside your room, which is what took me so long to stop the leech."

"Wyk is not a leech! He's a—"

"Falcon! He's nothing more than a falcon, Emma!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!"

"Emma Shardae! You're naming an Alistair in two days! And you'll be naming me **as** your Alistair!"

"No!"

Wyk stands up behind me, furious at this entire thing. He wraps his arms around my waist. "You can't choose that for her!"

"I can and I have!" Kiev argues. "Stand aside falcon, my Tuuli Thea cannot be tainted by hands such as yours!"

Out of nowhere, I break out of Wyk's arms and run at Kiev, punching him square in the jaw. I glare down at him at his position on the floor; the room is silent with shock. No one had expected that out of me.

"You son-of-a-bitch, you can't manipulate me anymore like when I was a child!" I scream. "I will **not** name you my Alistair, and I **never** will!" I take a few breaths to calm down, surprised my own behavior. "You're indefinitely terminated from the Royal Flight." I look at the young sparrow who had spoken earlier. "Take him to a cell. He's now in pending of banishment."

The sparrow does what I ask as quickly as I have ever seen a man or an Avian move. He realizes that I'm loose cannon at the moment, and one wrong word will send me off again. The others have already left by the time the sparrow gets Kiev off the ground – rather quickly.

Kiev looks at me. "You have a good arm there, Lady Shardae. But I'm warning you, once that damned falcon has finished using you, he'll toss you aside like a half-eaten carcass. I don't know if he'll kill you, but he doesn't love you. A falcon could never possibly love an Avian."

With that, the sparrow walks Kiev away to a nearby cell.


End file.
